2 Israelis dead in mountain climbing accident

Two Israelis & two other climbers die while climbing Mount Ushba in Georgia.

Arutz Sheva Staff, 06/08/16 20:34

Boris Gorfinkel

Photo: Courtesy of the family

Two Israelis died in a mountain-climbing accident on Mount Ushba in Georgia (Asia). One of the dead is Boris Gorfinkel, 46, originally from Ukraine.

Gorfinkel lived in Kibbutz Mishmar Haemek in the Meggido Regional Council. He is survived by a wife and two daughters: baby Emma, 3 months old, and 4-year-old Avigail.

The second victim of the tragedy is a Binyamina resident, also 46. He leaves a wife and three children.

Mayor of the Meggido Council Itzik Holevsky said: "Boris was a legendary teacher. With a unique combination of professional knowledge, humor, and grace, he educated and enriched generations of students, teaching them difficult and challenging subjects. The loss is heavy, and I offer my condolences to his family, to Kibbutz Mishmar Haemek, and to the Meggido high school.

Two more climbers from Russia and Sweden also died in the accident.

Mount Ushba is one of the most notable in the Caucasus mountain range, at 15,450 feet of elevation at its peak.

The Foreign Ministry has notified the victims' families of the tragedy.